Written questions by Morello.

Whether his Department is developing a digital strategy for social care users.

The Government recognises the transformative potential of digital technology for people who draw on adult social care. While the Department is not developing a digital strategy for social care users at this time, we are taking forward immediate reforms to ensure that people who draw on care benefit from digital transformation. These reforms build on progress to drive adoption of digital social care records, which now benefit 85% of people who draw on adult social care, as well as Government-funded testing, scaling, and evaluation of care technologies to help people live independently for longer.We are developing new standards and guidance for care technologies to improve the confidence of people who draw on care, their loved ones, and care providers, to purchase effective and compatible products.We are also developing new national data infrastructure for social care, which will lay the foundations for staff to access real-time information from health and care services. This will enable the right people to access the right information at the right time, which is key to ensuring people receive safe, personalised care, without having to repeat themselves multiple times to different health and care professionals. We aim for all care providers to be fully digitised by the end of the Parliament.To support the digitisation of adult social care, we have produced a digital skills learning offer. By developing the digital skills, confidence, and capabilities of the adult social care workforce, we can empower them to support the people drawing on care to choose the care technology that is right for them.We are continuing our work with delivery partners to support local authorities in digitising adult social care assessments. This support is helping local authorities improve the timeliness and efficiency of assessments. Where digital tools have been trialled, evaluations have shown that people drawing on care and support have experienced quicker assessments, leading to reduced waiting times.

If he will hold discussions with the Independent Commission into Adult Social Care on bringing forward the deadline for reporting on each phase of the commission's work.

The Independent Commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, launched in April, and has already begun its work on how to build an adult social care system fit for the future.The commission is independent and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to decide when it reports within the timelines set out in the published terms of reference. The first report will be published next year, with the second due by 2028 at the latest.

Whether his Department had discussions with the South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust on the potential impact of replacing fire and rescue co-responders with volunteer community first responders on (a) response times and (b) the effectiveness of the service.

No discussions have been held. Operational decisions on how best to improve services for patients and deliver value for money are taken at a local level by the relevant ambulance trust.

Whether he plans to include policies on supporting mental healthcare as part of the 10 year health plan in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other rural areas.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver more care locally, including in rural areas like West Dorset, supporting people to stay healthier including with their mental health.A neighbourhood mental health model, providing open access to specialist services and holistic support in community locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is already being piloted in six locations and we plan to go further. There will be 85 new dedicated mental health emergency departments and people will get better access to mental health support directly through the NHS App.We will also expand mental health support teams to cover all schools in England by 2029/30 and new Young Future Hubs will provide additional support for children and young people's mental health.

What guidance his Department has issued on the use of volunteer Community First Responders to respond to Category 1 medical emergencies.

No guidance has been issued. Each ambulance trust has responsibility for the arrangements and publishing of guidance on their Community First Responder schemes.

What discussions his Department has had with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust on the potential impact of replacing fire service co-responders with volunteer Community First Responders on ambulance response times to Category 1 calls in (a) rural and (b) West Dorset consitutency.

No discussions have been held. Operational decisions on how best to improve services for patients and deliver value for money are taken at a local level by the relevant ambulance trust.

What discussions his Department has had with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust on its decision to end support for fire service co-responders attending Category 1 cardiac emergencies.

No discussions have been held. Operational decisions on how best to improve services for patients and deliver value for money are taken at a local level by the relevant ambulance trust.

What discussions his Department has had with fire and rescue services in the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust area on phasing out co-responder schemes for Category 1 cardiac incidents.

No discussions have been held. Operational decisions on how best to improve services for patients and deliver value for money are taken at a local level by the relevant ambulance trust.

What recent discussions he has had with South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust on the potential impact of the level of funding on its capacity to deliver fire service co-responder support for Category 1 cardiac emergencies.

No discussions have been held. Operational decisions on how best to improve services for patients and deliver value for money are taken at a local level by the relevant ambulance trust.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a national trauma-informed mental health strategy on (a) early intervention and (b) treatment outcomes.

Trauma informed care is a key theme within National Health Service national guidance. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults sets out that interventions available from integrated services should include access to trauma-informed care.As part of its Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme, NHS England has developed care standards for mental health inpatient care to support its vision of inpatient care being trauma informed, autism informed and culturally competent.

What steps his Department is taking to develop a national strategy for trauma-informed mental health care in England.

Trauma informed care is a key theme within National Health Service national guidance. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults sets out that interventions available from integrated services should include access to trauma-informed care.As part of its Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme, NHS England has developed care standards for mental health inpatient care to support its vision of inpatient care being trauma informed, autism informed and culturally competent.

What recent discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS England, (b) integrated care boards, and (c) mental health charities on establishing a national strategy for trauma-informed care.

Trauma informed care is a key theme within National Health Service national guidance. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults sets out that interventions available from integrated services should include access to trauma-informed care.As part of its Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation Programme, NHS England has developed care standards for mental health inpatient care to support its vision of inpatient care being trauma informed, autism informed and culturally competent.

What steps he has taken to (a) monitor and (b) assess the impact of the Dentistry Rescue Plan in West Dorset constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.We are working with NHS England, the NHS Business Services Authority, and the ICBs to set out the requirements for monitoring and reporting progress against the 700,000 urgent appointments, which will enable us to identify where further support is needed. Data on the number of dentists recruited under the Golden Hello scheme is regularly collected by NHS England. As of 6 May 2025, in England, there were 66 dentists in post with a further 24 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. A further 231 posts are currently being advertised.

What criteria he uses to assess improved access to NHS dental services in West Dorset constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the West Dorset constituency, this is the NHS Dorset ICB.We are working with NHS England, the NHS Business Services Authority, and the ICBs to set out the requirements for monitoring and reporting progress against the 700,000 urgent appointments, which will enable us to identify where further support is needed. Data on the number of dentists recruited under the Golden Hello scheme is regularly collected by NHS England. As of 6 May 2025, in England, there were 66 dentists in post with a further 24 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. A further 231 posts are currently being advertised.

What plans his Department has to increase support for learning disability services in West Dorset constituency.

Each integrated care board must have an executive lead for learning disability and autism. To make it easier for people with a learning disability and autistic people to use health services, there is work underway in NHS England to make sure that staff in health settings know if they need to make reasonable adjustments for people. This includes the development of a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag, which enables the recording of key information about a patient, including if a person is autistic or has a learning disability, and their reasonable adjustment needs, to ensure support can be tailored appropriately.Under the Health and Care Act 2022, from 1 July 2022, Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered providers are required to ensure their staff receive specific training on learning disability and autism appropriate to their role. This helps to ensure that staff have the right knowledge and skills to provide safe and informed care. To support providers to meet the statutory training requirement, we have been rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, otherwise known as Oliver’s Training, to the health and adult social care workforce. A code of practice has been published to guide CQC registered providers on how to meet the statutory requirement for learning disability and autism training under the Health and Care Act 2022 which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice

What discussions he has had with Dorset Integrated Care Board on (a) funding and (b) support for people with learning disabilities in West Dorset constituency.

The Government wants to better support disabled people, including those with a learning disability, to participate in society and access high quality care and support. Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out the actions we are taking to move care from hospitals to communities and prevent sickness rather than treat it. These reforms will support improved life outcomes for people with a learning disability through more holistic, personalised support. Specific action is also being taken to roll out mandatory training on learning disability for health and social care staff.My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not had specific discussions with the integrated care board (ICB) as described. NHS England typically direct relationships with ICBs.NHS Dorset has a Learning Disabilities budget of £99.18 million for 2025/2026. This budget covers the community services commissioned through their core contracts, non-contract activity, continuing healthcare commitments, support for individual patients, advocacy and support services, and some service development initiatives including the full implementation of a keyworker service.In addition, each ICB must have an executive lead for learning disability whose role includes: supporting the board in addressing health inequalities; supporting equal access to care across all health services; and improving overall health outcomes.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to Integrated Care Boards to support people with learning disabilities.

NHS England is responsible for setting funding allocations for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs primarily pay for learning disability and autism services from their general allocation to provide healthcare for their population. In 2024/25, ICBs spent £3,323 million of their total allocation on learning disability and autism services and an additional £130 million on transformation programmes, including community/children and young people keyworkers, autism, and partnerships in neurodiversity in schools.

What additional funding is provided to Integrated Care Boards to manage seasonal changes in population in West Dorset constituency.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. ICBs then decide how that money is spent within the local integrated care system, and are responsible for planning service provision in their local area. In doing so, ICBs should consider how local funding can be deployed to best meet the needs of their local population.The initial population data used in setting resource allocations is the 12-month average of general practice registrations. This captures seasonal patterns, such as areas with high numbers of students or seasonal workers, better than using the population at a specific time would.

With reference to Q204 of the oral evidence given by him to the Health and Social Care Committee on 8 April 2025, HC 563, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an increase in the geographical area of integrated care boards on the adequacy of rural NHS services' (a) funding and b) staffing levels.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, NHS trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities. This letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/Ministers and the Department will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure ICBs continue to fulfil their future functions effectively within the running costs cap and unlock the benefit of working at scale to deliver better care for their population, including for those in rural areas.

What recent assessment he has made of emergency service capacity in tourist areas during the summer months in West Dorset constituency.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs then decide how that money is spent within the local integrated care system, and are responsible for planning service provision in their local area. In doing so, ICBs, including the NHS Dorset ICB, which is responsible for services in West Dorset, should consider how best to use their funding to meet patient demand, including expected seasonal variation. ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025, and are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2025-26/The National Health Service’s operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) framework provides a standardised approach to support an effective, integrated, and coordinated response to acute trust operational pressures. This includes actions locally, regionally, and nationally that support the depressurising of services and ensure patient safety. Further information about the OPEL framework is published by NHS England at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/integrated-opel-framework-2024-to-2026/